


Heaving Through Corrupted Lungs

by FrozenHearts



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: And Morgause, Angst, Arthur Finds Out, Arthur Is King, Emotional Baggage, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Everyone Finds Out, F/M, Freya is mentioned, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, LIKE EVER, Lancelot is dead, Magic Reveal, Magic Revealed, Merlin can't catch a break, Merlin has a breakdown, So is Morgana, Someone stop me from writing these things, Why Did I Write This?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2015-08-26
Packaged: 2018-04-17 10:29:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4663242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FrozenHearts/pseuds/FrozenHearts
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What was supposed to be a week's vacation for Merlin turns into a month. The Knights, Arthur and Gwen are surprised to find Merlin's house ransacked, and the secrets that lie with him as the young servant suffers an emotional breakdown.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I am so sorry for this. I just really wanted to write a magic reveal fic after basically reading every single one I could find on this site and others. So get ready for a lot of angsty feels and protective knights.

Arthur could see the small village of Ealdor on the horizon, just above the grassy plains of the field. Dust kicked up in clouds as the horses clopped forward, the sun beating down on the group. None of the knights were wearing armor, and Guinevere had a light summer dress on, but they were still sweating barrells.

  “Are you sure Merlin wants us to come?” Gwaine groaned, flicking his shaggy brown hair over his shoulder, “I mean, this was supposed to be a couple days off for him to visit his mother and Gaius and-”

 “That couple of days turned into a month, Gwaine,” Arthur raised his eyebrows, lips pursed in annoyance, “I think he’s visited long enough.”

 “But have you considered that Merlin never really gets to visit his mother?” Gwaine countered, his horse slowing to a slow trot. A collective groan rose from Elyan, Percival and Leon. It seemed Gwaine’s continuous outrage at cutting Merlin’s family time short was beginning to bother them. Arthur couldn’t help it though. He had given the man specific instructions, and even though he knew it would never happen, he expected Merlin to follow said instructions.

  Arthur had waited for a few days, calling the knights and Guinevere to sit with him at the Round Table every so often. That was when the letter had come. George- a stuffy servant whom no one really liked- strutted into the room, a yellowed piece of parchment in hand. With a deep bow, he handed it to the queen and left, slamming the large oak double doors behind him.

  Reading the letter, it was obvious that the servant was in distress, with words being written in hurried cursive, and the ever quiet Percival pointed out dots of blood splashed on the page.

  Things were never good when Percival spoke up about something.

  And so here they were, riding out to the small town that rested just outside of Camelot’s borders in the neighboring kingdom of Essetir. The king and queen recalled forlornly of a mishap the ton had with bandits, but Arthur pushed it away. They needed to focus on Merlin.

  Upon getting to the town’s entryway, they could see that it was practically deserted. Lines of laundry were still hung up, freshly pressed and flapping in the wind. Cows and pigs and chickens all lazed around in their respective pens, and Arthur heard Guinevere giggle as a chicken broke out of its pen, clucking as it waddled across the road.

  “What?” she asked when Arthur gave her a confused look, “It’s a chicken, I haven’t seen one break out of its pen before!”

  “But how is that funny?” Arthur asked.

  Guinevere shrugged, “I dunno. It just… is, I guess.” Elyan was vocal with his agreement. Arthur guessed it was a servant thing, although now that he and Guinevere were married it was also a royal thing. As they got farther into the town, Arthur ordered the knights to keep a look-out for Merlin’s cottage. As they neared the house, Arthur saw a black horse tied to a post in the front yard, head bucking up and down. A foot away now, Arthur thought he could hear a yell.

  “Wait!” Arthur held a hand up, Gwaine silencing himself half-way through something Arthur was fairly certain involved a goat (he hadn’t really been paying attention.) Cupping an ear, he added, “Do you hear that? It sounds like yelling.”

  A silence hung in the air as the others leaned forward on their horses, trying in vain to listen. But there it was, this time an audible yell, a call of distress.

  “Was that coming from Merlin’s house?” Guinevere suggested. Slowly, the knights jumped off their horses, Leon helping Guinevere to the ground as they approached the small hut-like habitat. The black horse was odd- did Merlin perhaps learn how to ride one? As if reading Arthur’s thoughts, Gwaine asked this very question.

 “He’s too clumsy for that we all know it,” Arthur chided quickly, eyeing the horse with unease. If the horse didn’t belong to Merlin than who? And what would they want with Merlin of all people? Or his family?

 “Shall we go in?” Elyan seemed uneasy at the next thump, a loud crash- something was thrown inside, followed by a yell of anger. Squaring his shoulder, Arthur rested his hand on the hilt of his sword (he was so grateful he decided to bring it on this trip) and jogged to the door, pressing an ear to the thin, mottled wood. He could hear muffled voices through the wood, and he was aware of Guinevere and the knights crowding around him to listen for themselves.

  “M-mother?!” Arthur heard a voice that was definitely Merlin’s. “Gaius!” He sounded distraught, as if he was crying.

  They jumped collectively as they heard a loud crack through the wood, Guinevere holding a hand to her heart.

  “I put them out of their misery for you, Merlin,” a second voice teased coldly, deep and raspy. Arthur felt a chill run through him as the voice added, “It’s the least I could do for a bastard child, isn’t it? Relieving your poor family of their burden?”

  Before Arthur had a chance to try and pinpoint a fae to the voice, why it sounded so familiar, he found himself breaking through the door, pushed by the weight of his friends as Gwaine made them barge through the door and into the house. Arthur reminded himself to reprimand Gwaine’s impatience as he slammed into the dirt floor, Guinevere at his side as the knights piled on top of them.

  “Ah! I see you have guests!”

  That voice… Arthur thought, why does it sound so familiar?! Arthur picked his head up as the man added, “And the king and queen themselves- oh! The knights came too!” Arthur heard Gwaine snarl as he pushed himself up, a loud ringing as the knight unsheathed his sword.

  “Let go of Merlin, mate!” Gwaine growled, at the ready. Arthur felt his breath hitch in his throat as he picked his head up, surveying the scene in front of him. The smell of blood was acrid, tickling his nostrils and making him light-headed. Two brutish guards clad in black leather stood over two motionless bodies on the floor at the far side of the room.

  A middle-aged woman and an old man.

 “Shit!” Arthur muttered a curse, allowing Leon to get Guinevere to her feet, push her behind him as a shield. Those people…. they were Gaius and Hunith. Gaius and Merlin’s mother, the two people who Merlin probably loved the most.

  And judging from the scenario, the young man had just watched those two people die. The shock was evident, his pale face even paler than usual. His blue eyes were wide, brimming with tears as he tried suppressing his sobs.

  “Oh, but why would I want to do that when he could get me the riches I deserve?” the man asked, and Arthur suddenly remembered who it was. The king of Essetir, the scum that had sided with Morgause and Morgana. Cenred. Arthur saw how Gwaine tensed as Cenred gripped Merlin’s jaw tightly with dirty fingers, forcing the young man to stare Arthur in the eye, his free hand lightly brushing his cheekbone, a teasing touch that sent shivers coursing under Merlin’s skin. Cenred’s voice was gruff yet light as he added with an air, “Why don’t you tell them, Merlin?” The name was spit out with disgusted reverie, “Or should we call you the all powerful Emrys, hmm?”

  Arthur found himself floored, no doubt the others were too. Emrys was a name of legends. Emrys was rumored to be a powerful Druid- so powerful, in fact, that existing druids and sorcerers revered and feared him. They looked to him and worshipped him as one would a god.

  Such a following was downright terrifying to even think about.

  “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about…” Merlin managed to stammer out, but it was clear the name held fast with him, fear flashing in his blue eyes as Cenred let his fingers dangle round his throat, picking idly at the knot of his tattered red neckerchief. Suddenly, it occurred to Arthur that he didn’t know the reason behind it. Now wasn’t really the time for it, but he (guiltily) hoped his suspicions would be confirmed as Cenred’s hiss announced with beady eyes and licked lips:

  “I guess they’ll have to see what I mean, show them my little present.”

  Gwen gasped audibly as the rival king ripped the scarf from Merlin’s throat, tearing the collar of his shirt away in the process to reveal his slender neck, his bony shoulder, an expanse of creamy skin. A long, twisted scar roped around his neck from just under the lobe of Merlin’s right ear, looping down to run across his clavicle and end in an angry knot where the shoulder met the beginning of his arm. It had long since healed, obviously, but it seemed to serve as a reminder. A reminder to Merlin of what he was.

  Arthur felt ready to throw up as it finally hit him.

  Merlin was Emrys.

   _Merlin was Emrys._

  And he had been raised to believe magic was evil, that it corrupted one’s soul until they were twisted into nothingness. Until they became a shell of the person they once were.

  “Ar-Arthur I’m sorry, I-”

  SLAP! Merlin’s head flew sideways as he was struck by Cenred’s beefy hand.

  “Merlin, look, look at what you’ve done,” Cenred mocked, “to everyone you know.”

  Arthur cocked his head, ignoring the foul words spilling forth from Gwaine’s mouth. Percival had a wary look in his eye, and Arthur knew things were only going to get worse. Merlin’s cheek was turning red from Cenred’s blow, leaving long red fingers to decorate his skin. Merlin let his eyes flicker between Arthur and Guinevere, the knights as he was forced to his knees.

   “Cenred, stand down,” Arthur was surprised to hear Leon order, his voice stern and cold, sword at the ready. Percival was standing with Elyan protectively with the queen, who cast her eyes down at her feet. Cenred grinned maliciously.

   “You mean to tell me they don’t know, Merlin?” Cenred laughed, “of what you did?”

   Arthur forced his fingers to still their trembling. It wouldn’t do anyone good to show weakness as the recently appointed king already. But he was curious- what had Merlin done that warranted this reaction?

   “Don’t you want to know, Arthur?” Cenred prompted, “of what our dear Merlin did to your uncle Agravaine? To your father?”

   At this Merlin tensed, utterly horrified terror reflected on his face. It seemed to take over his whole being, until he shook violently, face flushed as Cenred continued bitingly, “He killed them, Arthur. Granted, I had wanted them dead, but it seems your friend beat me to it.”

   The king’s heart leapt up to his throat, burrowing deep until he thought he couldn’t breath.

   “No, Arthur- I didn’t-” Merlin choked back a sob, but Arthur wasn’t listening to his rambling defense. He couldn’t. Cenred took the group’s shocked silence as means to continue, allowing himself a tighter hold around the servant’s throat.

   “Cenred,” Leon warned. His gaze was a wild fury, knuckles turning white as he clenched his fists.

  “Oh, but Sir Leon, there’s more to your friend’s tale- nasty, naughty boy, that he is!”

  Each word was a dagger, and Arthur could see Merlin jerk with each stab, trying to get away, to even breathe.

 

                                                                                                            ***

 

   Leon wasn’t entirely sure what he was hearing, choosing to blame his confusion on the heavy stench of blood in the house. But he felt his skin crawl with each revelation, and he was fairly certain Arthur was being torn in two.

  “Leon, what are we gonna do?” Elyan came to his side, clapping a hand to his shoulder. The young man was tense, his brown eyes narrowed no doubt at Cenred, who was enjoying this little charade, no doubt.

  It was hard to see Merlin so…. exposed, for lack of a better term. Cenred’s laughter only got louder, each finger digging deeper into the expanse of Merlin’s neck.

  “Not only that,” Cenred chuckled, “but Lancelot too.”

  Leon froze at this, exchanging worried glances with Elyan and Percival. The bigger knight raised an eyebrow- it didn’t make sense. Lancelot (besides Gwaine, of course) was Merlin’s closest friend. Everyone knew he would never hurt the man and vice versa. But Cenred’s words struck true, and Merlin let tears slip, leave transparent trails down his cheeks.

  “That’s not possible!” Gwaine guffawed for all of them, “Lance was his friend!”

  “Oh, but poor Merlin, he killed him- didn’t you, Merlin?” Cenred pried, “With your ma-”

  “No.”

  Leon was surprised to find Merlin utter the one word, as was Cenred, as he loosened his grip, letting his hand travel to the nape of Merlin’s neck. The knight really was starting to get dizzy from the sell of rotting flesh. Thankfully, Percival noticed, scooting a bit closer to allow him somewhere to lean.

  “No? You didn’t kill Lancelot? Then I guess you didn’t poison the Lady Morgana either, hmmm?” Cenred said with fake concern, “You didn’t hurt them with yo-”

  “I said no!” Merlin cried, his voice raspy as he struggled not to cry, “No, no-”

  Another slap and Merlin was lying on the floor. Leon saw the muscles in Arthur’s neck tense, a vein bulging across his forehead. No doubt, this information was hard to process. Not for him, nor the knights, Guinevere- anyone, really. Merlin allowed himself to weakly sob, his thin shoulders quaking. Cenred held up a wagging finger as Arthur took a step forward.

  “But you haven’t even learned the best part, King Arthur!” Cenred laughed, and the king’s face was schooled with confusion.

  What else was there? Arthur had just learned that his closest friend and servant had done all these misdeeds, was the cause of so much grief in their lives as of late. Leon glanced at Merlin. He was visibly shaking, keeping his head down. Cenred’s laughter bought his attention, the older man cackling, “No, King Arthur, you’ve caused just as much grief for him, you have-”

 Merlin’s head snapped up, his blue eyes glaring more than Leon ever thought possible as the servant spit out hastily, “No. Shut. Up.”

 “Leon, what is going on?” Elyan hissed in his ear.

 “Elyan, I don’t know!” Leon replied in a hushed whisper. Arthur cleared his throat, the cough echoing in the eerily silent house.

  “If I did , I think I’d know,” Arthur sounded confident, but Leon knew he was unsure of what to do, unsure of how to act.

  “But you don’t!” Cenred was positively gleeful, albeit he seemed rather drunk, now that Leon was properly focusing on him instead of Merlin. His hair was stringy, plastered to his face with sweat as he tried keeping his balance, swaying ever so slightly. He looked worse than Gwaine after the knight had come out of the Rising Sun on a Friday night, and that was really saying something. Giggling, Cenred added, “Do you remember your quest for the trident? The blasted King Fisher’s trident? I had tried getting it myself, but the bloke wouldn’t give it to me!”

  “What’s that got to do with anything?!” Gwaine suddenly shouted, Arthur’s hand clapping his shoulder, holding him back.

  “That little man at the bridge told me that you couldn’t cross that bridge without him.” Cenred stabbed an accusing finger at Merlin, “Without Mag-”

  “SHUT UP!”

  Gwen yelped in alarm as glass figurines on a nearby shelf shattered, the crustalline pieces falling to the floor. Percival gently moved her out of the way as a window on the opposite side of the room did the same. And before anyone could figure out just what the hell was happening, Cenred was thrust violently across the living area, his head slamming into the wall with an audible crack. Crimson dripped off the wall as the man slid down it, his neck bent at an awkward angle.

  Leon strode over to the prone man, hesitant to place his fingers to his neck. The skin was cold, and Cenred’s eyes were wide open, glassy and empty. Turning, Leon sent a wary look at Merlin, who picked himself up from off the floor, panting heavily. Clearing his throat, Leon announced, “He’s dead.”

  It seemed to be too much for the servant, who had been waiting with baited breath, as he lunged for the door, tripping over himself as he charged out of the house like a madman.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so bear with me, but I must admit that this chapter is not really my best work.

   “Bloody hell….” Gwaine murmured, his face pale as the others allowed Merlin to run out of the house. Arthur had to agree, as he held an arm out to Gwen, his queen stepping carefully over broken glass to embrace him. The stench was making him sick, and he glanced around at the carnage wrought inside the house. 

  This was Merlin’s home. And now it was ruined.

  His and his mother’s belongings were strewn haphazardly along the floor, splashes of red and what he assumed were Gaius’ medicines decorating every available surface. The chairs were turned over, and one of them had it’s legs snapped. Like Cenred’s neck, the man lying a few feet away.

  “Arthur?” Gwen’s voice was shaking, “Arthur are you okay?”

  Arthur shrugged, wrinkling his nose. His knights were careful in walking around, unusually quiet at the damage. It was hard to believe that this had happened for a month. A month. And he, Arthur Pendragon had been none the wiser. Surely, Merlin would have sent a letter? Something to hint at his distress?

 Oh, but he had. The single letter he had received, covered in what Arthur now  knew to be blood, based off of Percival’s first assumption. The slam of a fist against a wall alerted him to Gwaine, who was shivering at the corner of the room, hanging his head as he let a cry trickle through his lips.

  “Arthur….” he moaned, “the bastard killed them. Killed them right in front of him….” He slammed his fist against the wall again, this time sending it through with anger. Splinters of wood floated to his feet, sticking to the almost dried blood of the bodies lying there. 

 “Gwaine, come away from there,” Leon said soothingly, carefully guiding Gwaine to sit on the floor when the knight refused to leave his spot. Leon cocked his head, idle to avoid stepping in anything as he said, “Arthur, Hunith and Gaius show signs of decay.”

  Hunith and Gaius. Arthur felt his heart lurch- or was it his stomach? Dear lord…. he couldn’t process the words. Decay. Hunith and Gaius. Dead. They were  dead-

 “Oh gods-” Arthur gasped as he doubled over, clutching his stomach. His breakfast surged forth, giving the world a hearty hello as it came for a visit, plopping itself on the floor. Throat burning, he shook his head, trying to let his dizziness pass. Gen was rubbing his back, her hands forming soft circles over his spine, his shoulders. He could hear her mumbling, “It’s okay… Arthur, it’s okay….”

  “They must have been dead for weeks then,” Elyan put in, albeit unhelpfully. Gwaine growled at the obvious revelation, Leon clapping a hand to his shoulder whilst Elyan raised his hand defensively. Percival had disappeared- Good, he’s finding Merlin, Arthur thought as he rested his head on his wife’s shoulder, finding Merlin, bringing him back…

  But for what? Cenred had said everyone Merlin knew was now dead. Either by the boy’s hand or Arthur’s. Arthur shivered at the thought, the look of pain on Merlin’s face with each sentence. That was a hard thing to hear, he knew. In situations such as these- torture, Arthur decided to call it, unable to call it anything else- knights often cracked from the pressure, and that was after a few days. A week at most.

  Merlin had been subjugated to emotional abuse for at least a month. A month. And now his mother, his mother and his uncle were dead. Killed right in front of him. Arthur felt a fresh wave of nausea run through him as he realized that this was also most likely the first time Merlin’s probably seen it happen. Sure, sorcerer’s were often executed in the courtyard of Camelot’s citadel, but from what he could remember, Merlin was never there. He didn’t like seeing death inflicted upon anyone. 

  Arthur lifted his gaze as he heard a bang, the door to another room slamming against the doorframe. Percival shouldered himself through, and Arthur’s heart deflated. So that was where he had been. In that room. What was that room, anyway? It occurred to the king that he hadn’t bothered every visiting Merlin’s home. And that one time he helped save them from bandits didn’t count. In his hand was a stack of paper tied with red twine, the pile dwarfed by the knight’s large fingers.

  “I found these in Merlin’s room,” he stated softly, handing them to Leon. Gwaine pushed himself up, giving the room an odd hint of interest. Arthur had to admit his own interest was piqued; Merlin’s room in Gaius’ home was always closed off to visitors whenever he was there.

  “Do you think it’d be alright if we…..” Gwaine jutted his chin at the open door, and Arthur followed his eyes to see the corner of what looked like a burlap sack. 

 “Gwaine, it’s not a good idea-” Percival tried discouraging him, failing as the knight stalked angrily past him, disappearing through the door. Leon and Elyan had taken to leafing through the letters, jumping when they heard Gwaine’s loud shout of “SHIT!” Arthur felt Gwen trying to hold onto him, he could hear her pleading with him, “Don’t go in there, Arthur, it’s not going to be pretty-”

  But he ignored her warnings, pushing past Gwaine and Percival. 

  And instantly regretted it. 

  A burlap sack was pushed up against the far wall, nestled in the corner of the room. A small window was cut into the opposite wall, dust filtering through the thin shafts of light. More of the sticky stuff was streaked across the floor, and Arthur finally realized that they had been dragged from the room. A thump sounded, and he saw Gwaine kicking at the sack.

 “Wonder what this was here for…” Gwaine mused forlornly. Arthur blinked, staring at the crumpled burlap. A small slit was in the fabric, releasing a few barely seeds to the floor.

 “That’s his bed…” Arthur mumbled, then louder, “Gwaine, that’s where Merlin  sleeps…. ” 

 This looked bad. This looked really bad. Arthur knew Merlin was poor, but this poor? He didn’t want to believe it. But he couldn’t focus on the living space his servant had. There were bodies in the living room and Merlin was on the run. 

  Arthur allowed Gwaine to usher him to of the room, complaining that he was unable to take the smell any longer. Leon and Elyan handed him the notes, and he tried to mentally prepare himself for the worst. 

  “Cenred kept him in the house for the month, Arthur,” Leon barely spoke, “he intercepted Merlin’s letters too.” Nodding, Arthur attempted to compose himself, taking the letters from Leon. The paper was thin and rough under his fingers, the corners curling slightly as he ran a nail along to follow the words of an already opened note. The first few were okay, all of them stating that the three of them were in good health, although Hunith wouldn’t stop pestering him about Gwen. Arthur smiled at the thought of Hunith sitting her son down, forcing him to tell her stories about the queen. The next few seemed more rushed, but still in good nature.

  “I don’t know why you have me reading these, Leon-” Arthur winced as he heard the whine in his voice.

  “They get worse as you go on,” Leon pulled out a letter from the bottom, Arthur thankful he didn’t have to actually go through the entire pile. He didn’t think he’d be able to handle it. Tapping the words, Leon furrowed his brow, “like this.” 

  Hesitant, Arthur took the page from him, his eyes roving over the messy writing. Letters were indecipherable from another, the words almost seeming to blend into the next. But Merlin’s handwriting was obvious, and Arthur felt his blood run cold as he read it. Crumpling the paper in his fist, Arthur walked briskly from the room, jaw clenched.

  “Arthur?” GWen called after him, her footsteps echoing as she ran after him, outside. A few villagers had come out of their homes, eyeing the house and horses. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a woman clutch a young child closer to her, as if to keep him safe.

  They probably thought he was there to harm the citizens, not just Merlin and Hunith, it seemed. Heaving his shoulders, Arthur turned to face his wife, who caught up with a flurry of purple skirts and a messy bun. 

  “Arthur, what is it? Is Merlin okay?” she asked with a huff.

 “I’m gonna find that sorry excuse for a manservant, Gwen,” Arthur gritted his teeth. His hand trailed down his torso to find the hilt of his sword, which he gripped so tightly his knuckles turned white. 

  “Then we’re coming too!” Gwaine shouted, bounding out of the house, the knights in tow, “It won’t do to have the king’s manservant traipsing about like he is!” Leon had stopped to speak with one of the neighbors, the old woman at first drawing back from the man’s open hand. After a few minutes of watching them speak (Arthur didn’t try to discern what was said), Leon rejoined the group, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder. 

  “The neighbor said a month ago Cenred came with two guards, attacked Gaius and Hunith and went inside for- and I quote- the sorry little whelp. Obviously you know what happens next…”

  Guards…. right, there were two guards in the house with Cenred; no doubt they had run after their master was killed in cold blood. Arthur cast a glare over his shoulder, at Merlin’s now destroyed house. Perhaps the guards were still there? Gwaine was once again obvious with his anger, spitting out a string of curses as he withdrew his sword.

  “Where are they? Those guards?” Gwaine demanded, narrowing his eyes.

 “Over there!”

 Arthur jumped at Gwen’s voice, the suddenly wild pointing as she hitched up her skirts and started running northeast, past the town’s entrance and up the beginnings of a hill. Rolling his eyes, Arthur followed, beckoning his knights along. The guards, although with most likely a high stamina, were not quite fast under the heat of the sun. Arthur could only guess how much wearing leather in the summer burned one’s skin. 

  It looked as if they were running towards a cave of sorts, the lip of which Arthur could see at the top, smartly hidden by a canopy of trees. If those guards got there before they did, Arthur didn’t think he’d be able to handle it. There were, after all, many answers Merline owed him. 

 No one noticed as the little old woman Leon questioned shut her door, locking it firmly behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, not my best. I usually use fanfiction as a way to practice my writing, so it can only get better, right?

**Author's Note:**

> So yeah, sorry about that. I'll be posting a second chapter soon. I'm not really sure how far I'm going to take this story chapter-wise.


End file.
